Sheet-metal culvert.



J. H. DEAN.

SHEET METAL OULVERT.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1912.

Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

I/Qiimaooeo UNITED STATES PATENT our-Ion.

JOHN H. DEAN, or inMINenAM, ALABAMA, Assiouon, BY manor AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE u. s. snnnr & METAL cuLvERr 00., A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

Specification of LettersPatent.

SHEET-METAL cutvnn'r;

Patented Jan. 7,1913.

Original application fi led April 22, 1912,, Serial No. 692,826. Divided and this application filed September 16, 1912. Serial No. 720,527.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN H. DEAN, a 01th zen of the United States, residing at -B1rmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal Culverts, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to sheet metal culverts or pipes to be used as drains, aqueducts or the like, and more particularly to such culverts of the nestable type, wherein the same are built 'of sections adapted to be knocked down and nested together in shipment and storage, and to be set up and formed into a complete culvert or pipe at the place where the same is to be used, the applicationv for this invention being a division of an application filed by me on April 22, 1912, Serial No. 692,326.

The principal object of the invention is to generally improve the construction of such culverts and to provide a culvert which is strong and rigid in construction, cheaply made, and'requiring a comparatively small amount of labor in assembling the culvert sections to form a completed culvert.

A further object of the invention is to provide a culvert which is made up of corrugatedmetal sections, preferably half sections, said sections having rigid metal strips or bars welded or riveted to the same at or near their longitudinal edges, so that when the sections are "placed together .with their longitudinal edges meeting, adjacent strips or bars of complementary sections serve as ameans to which sheet metal clips, keys or other fastening devices may be applied for holding said adjacent strips in fixed relation one with the other and thereby retaining said sections in assembledrelation. In connection with this object of the invention, it is to benotedthat the rigid strips or bars are connected directly to the convex corrugations of'the culvert sections, in which event they also serve to materially strengthen the sections.

A-still further object of the invention is to provide a culvert of the type set forth, where-' r in the sections thereof are particularly adaptf ed for nesting one within the other while being shipped or in storage, and furthermore wherein said sections .may be easily connected together without the use of bolts, rive-ts or similar fastening devices, which obviates any punching or breaking away of the metal from which the culvert sections are made, thereby prolonging the life of the culvert.

Further objects and advantages will appear in thefollowing description, it being understood that various changes in form,

proportions and minor details of construc-* tion may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a culvertshowing thesections of the same constructed in accordance with my invention and in connected relation onewith the other, a portion .of the view being shown in cross section to illustrate the overlapping ends of longitudinally adjacent sections. Fig. 2 is a transverse'sectional view of the culvert taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is aview of a number of the culvert sections in nested relation one with the other.

Referring to the drawings, it is to be noted that each section, indicated at 1 of the metal culvert is-provided with corrugations which are arranged parallel with opposite ends thereof, and that when these sections, which are preferably half sections, are arranged in assembled position to form the completed culvert, the corrugations of upper and lower sections coincide with each other or in other taining them in such connected relation, the

corrugated culvert, for all intents and purposes, has the appearance and strength of Ian Integral corrugated cylinder.

The culvert sections are provided along their longitudinal edges with short metal strips: or b grs 3, vpre'reiably extending from i shape.

one convex corrugation'to the adjacent coning these clips to the connecting strips for vex corrugation of the sections, which strips fastening them together, is to insert said or bars are secured to these convex corruclip within the passage-way t with its downgations preferably by welding or riveting wardly bent and 6 in firm engagement with the same thereto. These short strips or one oi tliestrips, and then bend the opposite bars may be arranged at intervals alon the end 7 of said clip into firm engagement with entire length of each section it found de the ad'atient strip. These clips or keys, it sirable, or a short strip may be welded at has been found are particularly adapted Y or near the longitudinal edge of each section when inserted within the passageways 10 near the ends thereof, it being found in some formed tween the culvert sections and the instances that a short metal strip at eachv metal strips,-to serve as a means for cor-- end of a culvert section is all that is necesrectly positioning the longitudinal meeting sary for the purpose intended. Further edges of complementary sections, so that more these strips being formed from a rigid said com [lementary sections are properly and straight piece of metal, and the same positione before the final bend is given to being attached only to the convex corrugathe cli s for fastening the sect-ions together.

' tions of each section, it will be obvious that \Vhi e it is the preferred embodiment of said strips serve to greatly strengthen this invention to arrange the metal strips 3 these sections [and retain them in proper and necessarily their fastening clips 5 upon l the outside of the culvert sections, it is to be .In assembling the sections of this culvert understood that these strips and fastening with the'longit-udinal edges of upper and clips may be arranged u IJOIl the inside of low-er sections abutting, the-metal strips or said sections, and also that if found debars 3 of complementary sections are an sirable these strips and. fastening clips may 25 ranged to lie adjacent one another, and in bearranged on both the outside and inside this relation and when the same are fasof said' sections, these arrangements of toned or tied together, serve as a means for metal strips being clearly illustrated and retaining the sections in connectedrelation described in my application Serial, Number for forming the completed culvert. These 692,326, above referred to.

30 adjacent strips of complementary sections, The particular purpose, of the metal as before referred to, are connected to the strips, as betorementioncd, is to provide a. convex corrugations of the sections, and connectingmeans between complementary are preferably arranged upon the outsideculvert sections, but these strips also serve of .said'sections and it will be noted that as a means for supporting the sect-ions in 35 passage ways as indicated at 4 are formed nested relation. In this connection it will 0 between the corrugated culvert sections and be noted upon referring to Fig. 3 of the the said metal strips at points intermediate drawing, that when the sections are in. nestthe convex corrugations of said sections, and ed relation, the inner longitudinal edge 8 these passageways serve to receive sheet of each metal strip rests upon the longitudimetal clips or keys 5 which are provided nal edge of the section below it, thereby alfor fastening adjacent strips together for lowing the sections to be neatly nested and the'purpose of holding the sections in con supported one within the other. nected relation. The keys or clips 5 are In arrangingthe sections to form a. culbent over the strips as clearly shown in the vert any number tl ereof may be employed drawings, and as will be ()bVlOIlS, serve as a to produce the desired sireminism, but tie or clamping means for said strips and, -usually' two only are necessary as clearly for the purpose just referred to. ,shown in the drawing, preferably arranged It is to be understood that any form-of as lower and upper complementary sections. sheet metal clip or key may be used for fas- It will be noted that the sections of the cultoning these strips together, althoughv the vert embodying this invention may be all referred form of fastening means is shown alike, thus making it unnecessary to keep 1n Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, wherein it two d'tferent kinds of sections in stock to will be noted that the key or clip here shown form a complete pipe or culvert. is transversely curved intermediate its ends Many advantages are obtained by a con- 55 to conform'to the curvature of the concave struction of sheet metal culvert along the 1 20 corru ations of the sections so as to neatly lines as herein. specified, some of which adfit wit lit: the passage-waysmt as above enecihave already been. set forth in the fied. These keys or clips are also wears objec 1 oi: this invention, and it will be per shaped asshown, and are also constructed tectly obvious that the assembling of the 00 for their desired use prior tobeing applied parts is simpleand ettectualand is of such a to the strips, with a downwardly bent end character that it may be accomplished where portion 6, which {as will be obvious, serves as the work of installing a culvert is being car the engagin [Ii-bans for one of the strips, ried on. It is to be further noted that the preferabl t e strip of the upper half secsections are constructed without outstand 'tion, so that all that is necessary inapplying flanges and that the coirplcmentary sec tions are adapted to be connected together with. their longitudinal edges abutting, Without the use of bolts, rivets, or similar fastening devices engaging the metal sections themselves.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. A sheet metal culvert comprising complementary sections, short metal strips or bars secured to the sections and arranged at intervals along the longitudinal edge thereof, and means for fastening the strips or bars of adjacent sections together.

2. A sheet metal culvert comprising complementary corrugated sections, short metal strips or bars secured to the convex corrugations of each section and arranged at intervals along the longitudinaledge of each section, and means for fastening the strips or bars of adjacent sections together.

3. A sheet metal culvert comprising complementary sections, short metal strips or bars extending from a convex corrugation to an adjacent convex corrugation thereby forming passage-Ways between said metal strips and the culvert sections, and metal clips orkeys adapted to be inserted Within said passage-Ways and bent over adjacent strips to fasten the sections together.

4:. A sheet metal culvert comprisingcomplementary sections, short metal strips or bars extending from a corrugation to an adjacent corrugation, and means for faster mg adjacent strips or bars of complementary sections together for retaining said sections in'connected relation.

In .testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN H. DEAN.

Witnesses: J. W. Coommn, S. G. Rnmonos.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

-Washington, D. 6. 

